1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid processing apparatus used for applying a predetermined liquid processing or drying processing to various substrates such as a semiconductor wafer and a LCD substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
In, for example, the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, used are a wafer cleaning apparatus for cleaning a semiconductor wafer (wafer) used as a substrate with a predetermined chemical liquid or a pure water for removing from the wafer the contaminants such as particles, an organic contaminant and metallic impurities, and a wafer drying apparatus for removing liquid droplets from the wafer by using an inert gas such as a nitrogen gas (N2 gas) or an IPA vapor having a high volatility and a high hydrophilic nature so as to dry the wafer.
Known are a single wafer type cleaning apparatus or drying apparatus in which the wafers are processed one by one and a batch type cleaning apparatus or drying apparatus in which a plurality of wafers are housed in a wafer cleaning chamber or a wafer drying chamber for processing these wafers in a batch system.
Known as a single wafer cleaning apparatus is an apparatus called scrubber, in which a wafer is held at its peripheral portion or back surface and a process liquid is spurted to the front and back surfaces of the wafer while rotating the wafer within a horizontal plane, or a brush or the like, which is kept rotated, is scanned on the front surface of the wafer.
However, where a cleaning treatment is performed with the wafer held horizontal, a problem is generated that, when the wafer is rotated after the cleaning treatment for removing the cleaning liquid attached to the wafer, it is difficult to remove the cleaning liquid satisfactorily. Also, where the cleaning treatment is performed with the wafer held horizontal, the inner volume of the cleaning process chamber is increased in general, with the result that the amount of the exhaust gas is increased when the cleaning process chamber is exhausted. Therefore, the temperature of the chemical liquid used tends to be lowered, leading to an additional problem that it is rendered difficult to use a chemical liquid of a high temperature. Further, where the cleaning process chamber is of a hermetic structure for the control of the atmosphere, another problem is generated that the control program for controlling the opening-closing mechanism of the cleaning process chamber and the delivery mechanism to the cleaning process chamber of the wafer is rendered complex. In addition, where the wafer is disposed horizontal, it is difficult to superpose a plurality of wafers one upon the other in a vertical direction for processing the wafers.
On the other hand, a wafer cleaning apparatus 500 shown in, for example, FIG. 31 is known as a batch type cleaning process apparatus. As shown in the drawing, the wafer cleaning apparatus 500 comprises a process chamber 502 forming a wafer cleaning chamber 501. A rotor 505 arranged to be capable of holding a wafer W and rotatable is movable into and out of the process chamber 502 through a wafer delivery port 503 formed forward of the process chamber 502. Delivery of the wafer W can be performed between the rotor 505 and wafer chucks 509a, 509b of a transfer arm, with the rotor 505 moved forward of the process chamber 502. A reference numeral 507 shown in FIG. 31 represents a driving mechanism for moving back and forth and rotating the rotor 505. A reference numeral 508 represents a rotary shaft. A reference numeral 504 represents a lid of the process chamber 502. Further, a reference numeral 506 shown in FIG. 31 represents a holding member of the rotor 505.
However, in the wafer cleaning apparatus 500 shown in FIG. 31, it is necessary to control the operation of the apparatus 500 in a manner to prevent the collision between the wafer chucks 509a, 509b and the holding member 506 of the rotor 505, leading to a problem that the operating program is rendered complex.
In recent years, the wafer size is increased from 200 mmxcfx86 to 300 mmxcfx86 in accordance with progress in the miniaturization, degree of integration and mass production of semiconductor devices. A container capable of housing wafers in a vertical state was used for storing and transferring the wafers when it comes to the wafers of 200 mmxcfx86. However, a container housing the wafers in a horizontal state has come to the used when it comes to the wafers of 300 mmxcfx86 because the wafer is large and heavy.
Even where the wafers are transferred in a horizontal state, it is desirable to carry out the cleaning treatment itself of the wafers, with the wafers held substantially vertical as in the prior art. Under the circumstances, it is necessary to arrange, for example, a posture changing mechanism for changing the posture of the wafer between the horizontal state and the vertical state in the conventional apparatus in which the wafers were held substantially vertical for the transfer including the wafer cleaning apparatus 500 shown in FIG. 31. As a result, problems are generated that the transfer mechanism of the wafers is rendered complex and that the wafers tend to be contaminated and broken because the number of times of transplanting the wafers among the mechanisms handling the wafers is increased.
It should also be noted that, if the mechanism and member of each section handling the wafers is rendered bulky to conform with the size of the wafer without changing the construction of the conventional cleaning process apparatus, it is unavoidable for the entire cleaning process apparatus to be rendered bulky. Under the circumstances, it is highly desirable to improve the construction of the apparatus so as to suppress the enlargement of the apparatus as much as possible. It is also highly desirable to suppress the enlargement of the cleaning process apparatus in respect of the single wafer cleaning process apparatus.
A first object of the present invention is to provide a liquid processing apparatus capable of carrying out the liquid processing such as the cleaning of a substrate with a high precision and with a high efficiency.
A second object of the present invention is to provide a liquid processing apparatus, which is basically an apparatus for applying a liquid processing to a single substrate and capable of easily coping with the processing of a plurality of substrates.
Further, a third object of the present invention is to provide a compact liquid processing apparatus, which permits suppressing the enlargement of the processing apparatus when the design of the apparatus is changed for applying a liquid processing to a substrate having a large outer diameter.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a liquid processing apparatus, in which a process liquid is supplied to a substrate for performing a liquid processing, comprising a substrate rotating device including a holder for holding a substrate and a rotating device for rotating said holder; a posture changing mechanism for changing the posture of said substrate rotating device such that a state of the substrate held by said holder changes between substantially vertical and substantially horizontal; a process chamber for applying a predetermined liquid processing to the substrate held substantially vertical by said holder; and a position adjusting mechanism for relatively adjusting the positions of said process chamber and said holder such that said holder is housed in said process chamber.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a liquid processing apparatus, in which a process liquid is supplied to a substrate for performing a liquid processing, comprising: a holder for holding substantially in parallel a plurality of substrates a predetermined distance apart from each other; a container delivery section for delivering a container having a plurality of substrates housed therein substantially horizontal a predetermined distance apart from each other; a substrate transfer device for transferring a plurality of substrates in a substantially horizontal state between a container disposed in said container delivery section and said holder; a posture changing mechanism for changing the posture of said holder such that a state of the substrates held by said holder changes between substantially vertical and substantially horizontal; a process chamber, which houses said holder, for applying a predetermined liquid processing to the substrate held substantially vertical by said holder; a moving mechanism for sliding both said holder and said posture changing mechanism such that said holder is housed in said process chamber; and a holder transfer/rotation driving mechanism for transferring said holder within said process chamber and rotating said holder.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a liquid processing apparatus, in which a process liquid is supplied to a substrate for performing a liquid processing, comprising: a holder for holding a substrate; rotor for rotating said holder; a process chamber, which includes a delivery port for moving said holder into and out of said process chamber and houses said holder, for applying a predetermined liquid processing to the substrate held by said holder; and a lid for closing the delivery port formed in said process chamber under the state that said holder is housed in said process chamber; wherein said holder, said rotor and said lid are formed as an integral structure.
The liquid processing apparatus according to any of the first to third aspects of the present invention described above employs a method that was not employed in the past, i.e., the method that the posture of the holder for holding the substrate is changed such that a state of the substrate can change between substantially horizontal and substantially vertical. The particular method employed in the present invention permits suppressing the enlargement of the entire liquid processing apparatus so as to realize a compact liquid processing apparatus, compared with the case where the conventional liquid processing apparatus is simply enlarged to conform with the increase in the size of the substrate. It should also be noted that, even where the substrates are held in a container in a horizontal state, it is unnecessary to arrange another posture changing mechanism between the container and the holder because it is possible to change the posture of the holder holding the substrates. It follows that it is possible to simplify the transfer process of the substrates, making it possible to simplify the construction of the entire liquid processing apparatus. Further, since the number of times of transplanting the substrate is decreased, it is possible to suppress the particle generation so as to suppress the contamination of the substrate. In addition, the substrate is unlikely to be damaged. Still further, since a liquid processing is applied to the substrate that is held substantially vertical, the process liquid attached to the substrate can be removed easily. Also, a liquid processing can be applied uniformly on any of the front and back surfaces of the substrate. What should also be noted is that, since the atmosphere within the process chamber can be controlled easily, the drying operation can also be performed easily.